April 01, 2016, 03:00:00 AM

Written by Kozgugore

Note: This article was a part of this year's April Fools. Any information that follows should not be taken seriously, as opposed to some poor souls who mistakenly did.

(However, half-nakedness will remain to be encouraged, as per the 2016 orcish fashion trends.)

Slay Your One Hundred!

The Tribe is changing for the better. This day, this year marks a massive change in the way we do things going forwards. Sick of whining little pups that spend their days moaning by the campfire getting drunk? Tired of “stupid dramatic actions” that bring nothing to the Tribe apart from separate us, cause rifts and frankly just give us a bad rep through the Orcish community? Then this; this is news for you!

As of this day, the Tribe no longer is a Tribe; but a grand Gladiator's School! That's right. No more will we wander the world aiding the Horde aimlessly with pointless politics and wimpy whining with blood elves. We are Orcs and we fight!

(On a more serious OOC note; with recent drops in activity we've spent a lot of time deliberating on how to boost numbers once more and inject some fresh ideas. The new rank/notice board system was the first step onto this road here, and will integrate with it perfectly!)

The Gladiator's Way

So you think you can fight, pup? Well get in a ring and prove it. The Chieftain Kozgugore has rediscovered his roots; nay was he a Warsong Orc but in truth a Shattered Hand! As such how can he lead such a pathetic weak Tribe knowing his heritage? The truth is he can't and as such has dissembled the Tribe to turn it into a wandering Gladiatorial haven! No more will we conform to Horde tradition, but instead tour the many arenas in the world in search of glory!

You Lookin' At Me, Kid?

As with every guild change up we have to change a few of our rules. As of this date every male member of the Tribe will need an arena rating of 2k, otherwise you're instantly removed from the guild. You read that right. Argent Dawn has made us soft and weak and the last tournament at the Kosh'harg was nothing short of an absolute shambles. A Troll and an Undead in the final; not a Tribes-orc in sight! Frankly we should kick the lot of you all for ruining our PvP roots but it's instead spurred on the final leg of this idea we've been toiling with the last few weeks now.

We're returning to our PvP roots. A lot of us have lost our way with PvP, as back on Defias Brotherhood we used to be a force to be reckoned with! Argent Dawn will know the fury of the Red Blade Gladiator's going forwards. Remember; 1 week from this day to earn 2k rating or removal from the guild!

Stop Hiding Behind All That Armour, Wimp

If we're going to be Gladiator's we need to arm ourselves in such a manner. From this day forwards only the following armour will be allowed in any form of Roleplay; shoulders, helms, gloves, belts and weapons! If you do not follow these rules then we have no place for you here anymore!

Male Domination

Only men can fight. Women are weak and should know their place. As of this day forwards every female Orc will present themselves to become slaves of the Gladiator's. Willingly or unwillingly. No more will the males conform to “wooing” and “courting” a female. If they want a female they fight another Orc for the right to mate with one; regardless of her own choices! The male dominance shall rise once more!

You all have a choice. Rise higher than you've ever risen before and become a Gladiator. Slay your one hundred and earn your right and respect within this sanctum or leave with your tail between your legs. The choice is yours, pups.

[Member Spotlight: Rhonya]

February 20, 2016, 11:26:00 PM

Written by Kozgugore

Member Spotlight: Rhonya

We've had some amazing members in our guild over the past few years and every now and then, they deserve a little extra time in the spotlights! Who the most obviously choice to deserve some special recognition might be, you ask? Rhonya Steelheart, AKA Kyrazha Throatrender, of course! Not only is she one of our most active and longest members, she's someone virtually everyone in the tribe knows! How well do you think you know her? Read on and perhaps you'll find out a few things you didn't know just yet!

So, how do you remember your first encounter with the tribe? How did it all kick off, and how did you first hear of us?

Well... that is an odd story! I once encountered some of them already when I was still part of a different guild, but I was pretty intimidated by the level of RP they showed, so I actually kept away a bit. More my own shyness, that. But a random encounter messed that up. One of the Forsaken once tried to kidnap Rhonya from Silvermoon, and as it happened, the tribe was there as well to aid with something on the Deadscar. The moment Rhonya got knocked out, Grek'thar walked around the corner and sounded the alarm, which resulted in a wild chase of Red Blades and Sin Belore trying to free me, in which they eventually succeeded. Grek'thar took it on himself to protect Rhonya from that moment on, and kind of... forced her (and me, OOCly...) to go on travel with the tribe! I officially joined as New Blood a few months later. So it was an accident, really.

Quite the detour! But eventually, something made you decide to join and stay in the end. You're among our longest lasting (and certainly active) members, after all! Anything in particular that made you stick?

Well, it was the RP actually that made me decide to join. Rhonya had quite the backstory which the orcs wouldn't approve of, so she kept that secret, until one of the officers ICly found out about it, and dragged it in front of mister Chieftain himself! I'm always one who just goes with the flow in RP, but I was really nervous actually there, I thought the tribe would kill Rhon. Quite the opposite happened, and they invited me to join as New Blood (also to keep an eye on her ICly.) So really, it was the members that tried to have me join for months already OOCly, and the direction the RP took, that pulled me in. It fit the RP, and it felt right!

So by the sound of it, you tend to go with the flow and let spontaneity have it free course. Does that mean Rhonya, your character, went through any changes from what you originally planned her out to be as well?

To be fair, the moment I made her, it was to humor a friend who told me to try make an orc and join the new guild she'd just joined as well. Rhonya started out as a Dark Shaman, and I had absolutely no idea about Orc RP or what I wanted to do with her, so I didn't even have any original plans to begin with! She fled her dark ways, joined the tribe and during that all kind of things happened to her due to other players, which I then turned into plots or things and dragged others in as well. So she went through loads of changes, but most I didn't plan. Which made it all the more fun!

I can imagine! Any particular events or plotlines or the like that are particularly memorable for you?

The rebellion stuck with me really, though not the events. It was more the random RP around the camps with all the other guilds that I really liked. It was also the time I introduced Kyrazha, my second orc and much an opposite to Rhonya. What I also think back on fondly was the time we actually went to get rid of Rhonya's inner demons, which consisted of four rituals in a week, with all the elders of the guild and a warlock. It was a big plotending for Rhonya after three years, and I was really happy that so many people wanted to help me with it and give it a nice ending. And the still continueing plot with some of the Forsaken people that still play, that were such a big part of Rhonya's past before she joined the tribe.

Sounds like a busy time! Other than all the RP, do you feel there's anything else that all your time in WoW or the guild in particular was good for?

It's been a very busy few years, indeed. And OOCly getting to know all the people over the years has really been great. I held a few guildmeets as well, got to know people in real life, made some really good friends. I'm really surprised actually how close this guild has become in terms of wanting to help one another, cheer each other up, even pay for others in the case of our transfer from DB to AD. PvP with people while in a Skype call, laughing our asses off while trying to kill Alliance and failing horribly. Watching Blizzcon together and cheering at all the news. The new expansions coming and all staying awake until it launched, trying to get through the lag and actually do a quest or two. And of course it's a huge plus my husband also plays WoW and RPs, and is in the same guild, which means that we can enjoy each others company and play together online as well!

Got any tips for any fellow RPers out there, that you think might help make them enjoy the game and its RP and interactions just as much – and as long – as you have?

Suppose the most important thing I could say, don't mix OOC and IC. Drama can be a great motivator for plot and things, but keep talking OOCly to the other person and just have fun instead of getting mad or annoyed. We all play this game to have fun after all! Don't wait for RP to come to you, take some initiative and make it happen, much more enjoyable for all parties involved. Get to know people, make some friends, create some great stories together!

[Trailer Throwback Tuesday]

February 16, 2016, 07:44:00 PM

Written by Kozgugore

Trailer Throwback Tuesday

As a little look back on the many years we've been active, we invite you all to take a look back at the rich history the guild has to offer! While not a piece of in-game lore per say, we've had our fair share of video material over the years. Some of which are, of course, the tribe's famed trailers! The one to officially kick it off (not including some other video footage that was not originally meant to be as trailers), was this very one back in 2010! Low youtube quality? Check! Shoddy editing? Check! No cheesy voice-overs? Check! Lots of orcs and awesomeness? Check! See how many old faces you recognize!

November 13, 2015, 08:24:00 PM

Written by Sadok

Tomb of the Ages

Uulwi iris halvahs gag er'ongg w'ssh.

Through the ghoul-guarded gateways of slumber, 

   Past the wan-mooned abysses of night, 

I have lived o'er my lives without number, 

   I have sounded all things with my sight; 

And I struggle and shriek ere the daybreak, being driven to madness with fright.

I have whirled with the earth at the dawning, 

   When the sky was a vaporous flame; 

I have seen the great dark beyond yawning 

   Where the black planets roll without aim, 

Where they roll in their horror unheeded, without knowledge or lustre or name.

I had drifted o'er seas without ending, 

   Under sinister grey-clouded skies, 

That the many-forked lightning is rending, 

   That resound with hysterical cries; 

With the moans of invisible daemons, that out of the green waters rise.

I have plunged like a deer through the arches 

   Of the hoary primordial grove, 

Where the oaks feel the presence that marches, 

   And stalks on where no spirit dares rove, 

And I flee from a thing that surrounds me, and leers through dead branches above.

I have stumbled by cave-ridden mountains 

   That rise barren and bleak from the plain, 

I have drunk of the fog-foetid fountains 

   That ooze down to the marsh and the main; 

And in hot cursed tarns I have seen things, I care not to gaze on again.

I have scanned the vast ivy-clad palace, 

   I have trod its untenanted hall, 

Where the moon rising up from the valleys 

   Shows the tapestried things on the wall; 

Strange figures discordantly woven, that I cannot endure to recall.

I have peered from the casements in wonder 

   At the mouldering meadows around, 

At the many-roofed village laid under 

   The curse of a grave-girdled ground; 

And from rows of white urn-carven marble, I listen intently for sound.

I have haunted the tombs of the ages, 

   I have flown on the pinions of fear, 

Where the smoke-belching netherworld rages; 

   Where the jöklar loom snow-clad and drear: 

And in realms where the sun of the desert consumes what it never can cheer.

I was old when the pharaohs first mounted 

   The jewel-decked throne by Vir’naal; 

I was old in those epochs uncounted 

   When I, and I only, was vile; 

And Man, yet untainted and happy, dwelt in bliss on the far frozen isle.

Oh, great was the sin of my spirit, 

   And great is the reach of its doom; 

Not the pity of heavens can cheer it, 

   Nor can respite be found in the tomb: 

Down the infinite aeons come beating the wings of unmerciful gloom.

Through the ghoul-guarded gateways of slumber, 

   Past the wan-mooned abysses of night, 

I have lived o'er my lives without number, 

   I have sounded all things with my sight; 

And I struggle and shriek ere the daybreak, being driven to madness with fright.

H.P. Lovecraft, "Nemesis" [partially adapted]

October 08, 2015, 01:57:00 PM

Written by Sadok

Ten Years Strong

“Know this, sons and daughters of Redblade. Blood freely given is the seal of the oath that we make. When you spill your blood into the flames, you do not only pledge loyalty to our banner. You become one with the essence that is the Pack. You accept to live by our code and tenets. You accept to not only fight for the Horde, but to run and hunt with this new family. And finally, you accept to oppose any chains that might seek to bind you – be they dae’mon, human or otherwise – and to do so to the very end. Our ancestors watch over us, always, and they judge us for every step, every breath, we take in life. In the end of it all, know that our blood, too, is welcome.”

It has been a decade since it all began; since a young orc left the refuge of Orgrimmar’s orphanage to chase after the legacy of her name. Redblade. It was a name long forgotten – swallowed up in the greatness that was the Old Horde. Her very own father was the one responsible to sway the old clan to the Horde’s side and to let demons have their way with them.

But no longer. As sole survivor of the clan and its heritage, it was her charge to redeem the ancient name of Redblade. Rather than a symbol for the oppression and deceit of the Burning Legion, it became a symbol of unity and freedom. A place where orcs of all clans and descents could rally to the cause and could find a home where tradition would meet the present, so that their traditions, too, might be remembered and, when the time comes, be passed on for future generations. Every clan of old was worth remembering in its own way, and it was the newly-formed Red Blade that provided the haven to preserve them.

One decade. And still the banner stands high. He tried to remember when he first heard the words – that oath that each orc swears in order to live and die by the tenets that she, their Matriarch, had once decreed. She has long since passed the torch to him, who they chose to refer to as Chieftain in her stead, but still he remembers every word spoken. And now, here before him, two more orcs stood ready to swear that exact same oath, by those exact same words. The fires of the other camps nearby had already long been snuffed out, but a small group of stalwart orcs still remained by this one lively fire to welcome two new brothers to their pack.

“By these words, I swear to live by your code and laws. I swear to die fighting for the Horde and the legacy of the Red Blades. Until the day that death comes for me, I will be one with the pack.”

Many orcs have come and gone throughout these past years, to be forever remembered and counted as one of them. Now it would be the turn of these two to leave their mark as freshly branded Oathbound, and to prove that their words spoken tonight would be taken to heart until the ancestors welcome them into their embrace. Thick droplets of crimson blood flowed from their palms into the crackling fire, sealing their promise. With the sizzling approval of the flames, a cry in unison pierced the night’s darkness from the crowd of orcs gathered around them.

“For the Blood of the Tribe!”

((Story written by Kozgugore))

Orcs of the Red Blade celebrate our tenth anniversary on 8th October 2015. It's been one fel of a journey thus far -- from Durotar to Garadar, from the frigid wastes of Icecrown to the savage wilds of Tanaan, we have brought quality orc role-play to every corner of Azeroth. And hopefully, we have helped forge treasured memories for each and every person who has joined us along the way -- New Bloods and Red Guards; Chieftains and Matriarchs.

Did I say Matriarch? As part of the tenth anniversary celebrations, we've reached out and now welcome back our founder, Matriarch Akesha Redblade, after over five years away.

As part of our tenth anniversary celebrations, we have invited both current and former members to weigh in and discuss their memories and recollections of everything Orcs of the Red Blade -- from their favourite RP characters to fondly-remembered events and storylines. Here’s a selection of quotes from our feedback:

"Orcs of the Red Blade is more than just a guild in a video game. It's a safe-haven, a place in my mind that I can retreat to. It's not just been in World of Warcraft, it's made World of Warcraft. It certainly made Defias, and now, on Argent Dawn, the next ten years commence!”

Gashuk Soulfury, Member since 2010

“But the memories that'll last me the longest probably aren't the events, it's the friends I've made and the fun I've had. I've met a bunch of orcs in real life, and I've not regretted it yet.”

Therak Duskstalker, Member since 2010

“It's safe to say that this is the best guild I've been in since I started playing this game, and this guild has been the only thing keeping me playing over those three years.”

Trakmar Beastbane, Member since 2012

“The whole system the guild has from top to bottom... Recruitment, tutoring, hierarchy, events, plots, style, tradition, OOC harmony/unity, strong officer team and direction... are what give it a monumental edge. This guild is a well oiled, well built machine that knows what direction it wants to go in, how to get there and why.”

Krogon Devilstep, Member since 2008

“Orcs of the Red Blade is my home. Theres a reason i've come back to it so many times over the years. Its more than a community, its a family to me.”

Makaroth Felscream, Member since 2012

“You guys showed me the ropes, and helped me grow and develop my character, both IC and OOC. I learned how to play WoW and RP in it, through this guild.”

Grekthar Earthstorm, Member since 2011

"What probably makes my memory about the tribe special, is that in a way, it feels like I've grown up along with it. As I grew older, the tribe developed in its own way as well. And as a result, having all those responsibilities and experiences with other people developed me as a person as well.”

Kozgugore Feraleye, Member since 2005

“I don't even play WoW but I still stick around for some reason. But seriously tho: I liked roleplaying with ya lot.”

Regorn Thunderheart, OotRB Forum Obsessive, Member since 2010

“This guild is such a strong and bonded group of people, I would've never expected to find that in a video game. But I'm really, really happy that I've been such a part of it, and hope to be still for the next coming time.”

Rhonya Steelheart, Member since 2012

“I must confess, when I started this guild I had absolutely no idea what I was doing.”

Akesha Redblade, Founder, Member since 2005

You can find the full “Ten Years Strong: Memories” thread here.